Is someone tracking your phone's location?

iPhoneAndroidUpdated

Someone turns up where you didn't tell them you'd be, or knows you left work early, and the thought lands: can they see where my phone is? Two things are worth checking first: location sharing that was switched on at some point, and a small tracker in a bag or car. Both can be found and stopped, and the steps below show how.

Quick answer

On iPhone, open Find My and tap People to see who you share your location with, or use Safety Check in Settings > Privacy & Security. On Android, check Settings > Location > Location services > Google Location Sharing. Check Google Maps' Location sharing too. If you get an unknown tracker alert, follow it to find the tracker.

How do you know if someone can see your location on iPhone?

Look at who you share with. When you share your location through Apple's Find My, the people you share with can see it in Find My, in Messages and in Maps. If you both have iOS 15 or later, they see your live location, which can give a sense of direction and speed.

  1. Open Find My and tap People to see the people listed.
  2. To stop sharing with one person, tap their name, then Stop Sharing My Location, then Stop Sharing Location.
  3. To stop sharing with everyone, tap Me, then turn off Share My Location.
  4. While you're in Me, look for a Notifications About You section. If it's there, someone gets notified when your location changes, and you can select and delete those notifications.

If the Find My app has been deleted, Apple suggests turning off Location Services (Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services) and downloading Find My again.

What does Safety Check do?

Safety Check is on iPhone with iOS 16 or later and an Apple Account using two-factor authentication. It shows who has access to your information, including your location, and lets you stop sharing with individual people and apps, review the devices on your Apple Account and change your passcode or password.

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check.
  2. Choose Manage Sharing & Access to go through people and apps one at a time.
  3. Or choose Emergency Reset to stop sharing with all people and apps straight away, then review your devices, emergency contacts and account security.

Apple adds a Quick Exit button to every Safety Check screen, which closes Settings immediately and keeps the changes you've made.

Will they know if you stop sharing?

They may. Apple says the people you shared with may notice you've stopped, and on earlier software they may get a notification in Messages. Apple's advice is to consider the potential impact on your safety and privacy before making changes.

If you're worried about how someone will react, you can plan first. In the UK, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, is free on 0808 2000 247. In an emergency, call 999.

How do you check location sharing on Android?

Google Location Sharing is the setting behind sharing in Maps, Messages, Find Hub and Family Link. People you share with can see your name, picture, real-time location and battery status. The setting is per device and per account, so check each phone you use.

  1. Open your phone's Settings app.
  2. Tap Location > Location services > Google Location Sharing.
  3. Tap the list of people you share with.
  4. Next to anyone you want to stop sharing with, tap Stop.

To pause every share at once, turn off Use Location Sharing on the same screen. Google says this keeps your shares in place but stops them updating with your real-time location until you turn it back on. Google also lists Location Sharing being turned on or off without your knowledge as a sign that someone else may be using your Google Account.

How do you stop sharing in Google Maps and Find Hub?

Find Hub automatically shows shares you made in other Google apps, such as Maps, and Google says stopping a share stops it for your account in every app using Google Location Sharing.

  1. Google Maps, on Android or iPhone: tap your profile picture or initial, then Location Sharing. Tap the person, then Stop.
  2. Find Hub: tap the person you're sharing with, then Stop sharing, then confirm.
  3. In Find Hub, the You're sharing with filter shows everyone who can currently see your location. Google notes anyone with a link share can see it too.

What does an unknown tracker alert mean?

It means a tracker that isn't yours, such as an AirTag, may be travelling with you. Apple and Google built cross-platform alerts so iPhone and Android both warn you. It might be in something you've borrowed, but you can find it either way.

On iPhone (Apple says to update to iOS 17.5 or later, and keep Bluetooth, Location Services and Tracking Notifications on):

  1. Tap the alert, then Continue, then Play Sound.
  2. With a supported iPhone, tap Find Nearby for distance and direction to an unknown AirTag.
  3. To see past alerts, open Find My, tap Items and scroll to Unknown Items Detected with You.

On Android (Android 6 or later):

  1. Tap the alert to open a map of where it was detected with you, then tap Play sound. Google says the owner isn't notified.
  2. To scan at any time, go to Settings > Safety and emergency > Unknown tracker alerts > Scan now. It takes about 10 seconds.

Both Apple and Google say turning off Bluetooth or Location Services, or using aeroplane mode, doesn't stop the owner seeing the tracker's location. If you find one, take screenshots first. Disabling it stops the owner getting updates. Google says some trackers may factory reset when turned off, and police then can't get more information about them. If you feel unsafe, go somewhere public and contact the police.

Can apps on your phone see your location?

Yes, if you've allowed them. On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and tap each app to see and change its access. Apple says an icon appears in the status bar when an app is using your location. If you're worried about apps installed without your knowledge, see can someone access your phone without you knowing.

Where Failshot fits

Failshot doesn't detect location sharing, trackers, spyware or anything happening remotely. The checks above are the way to find those. Failshot covers one thing: someone with your phone in their hands. It photographs whoever unlocks your phone while Failshot is on, and the camera light shows whenever it takes a photo.

So it's relevant if your worry is that someone picked up your phone and changed a setting. On iPhone, you turn Failshot on and lock the phone, and whoever unlocks it lands in Failshot and is photographed; it doesn't photograph a wrong passcode at the Lock Screen. On Android it also photographs a wrong PIN, pattern or password. Switching it off needs Face ID or fingerprint, or your own Failshot PIN plus your answer, never the phone's passcode. Photos stay on your phone. It's for your own device only, and coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Questions people also ask

If someone is tracking my phone, how will I know?

Check rather than guess. On iPhone, Find My's People tab and Safety Check show who you share your location with. On Android, Google Location Sharing in Settings lists everyone. For physical trackers, iPhone and Android both alert you when an unknown one is moving with you.

Does turning on aeroplane mode stop an AirTag?

No. Apple and Google both say aeroplane mode, or turning off Bluetooth or Location Services, doesn't stop the owner seeing an AirTag's or other tracker's location. To stop it, find the tracker and follow the disable instructions, after taking screenshots of the alert and the tracker's details.

Does hiding my location in Find My stop sharing?

Only for a day. Apple says Hide Location pauses sharing with one person, and sharing automatically resumes the next day. To end it, tap Stop Sharing My Location instead.

Is someone tracking my Samsung phone?

Samsung phones run Android, so Google's Android checks apply: Google Location Sharing in Settings for shares, and Unknown tracker alerts for trackers, on Android 6 or later. If a menu looks different, search Settings for "Location Sharing" or "Unknown tracker alerts".

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